Falcao moved to Stamford Bridge in July after an unsuccessful season-long loan at Manchester United, but has scored only once in 11 appearances and not featured since October due to a thigh injury.

A contract on the Football Leaks website says Falcao was loaned by Monaco to the Premier League champions free of charge.

“It is explicitly agreed that no fee is charged to Chelsea by AS Monaco for the temporary transfer of the player’s registration,” the document states.

The documents also show that Chelsea have until April 29, 2016 to notify Monaco in writing of their wish to sign Falcao.

The fee negotiated is Euros 50million, with half of the sum to be paid within seven days of the option being taken up and the remainder due before July 15, 2017.

It appears unlikely the option to buy will be taken up.

The Colombia striker was earlier this month linked with a return to Monaco, but the Ligue 1 club said the move fell through due to concerns about his fitness.

Chelsea declined to comment.

17:06Ed Malyon

Pato in, Remy out at Chelsea?

Alexandre Pato of Sao Paulo in action during the match against Sport Recife for the Brazilian Series A 2015 at Morumbi stadium on October 31, 2015 (Image: Alexandre Schneider/Getty )

Chelsea are ready to let Loic Remy move to Crystal Palace before next Monday’s deadline – as long as the Blues secure Alexandre Pato.

Remy, who played under Eagles boss Alan Pardew at Newcastle, has always been one of Palace’s top January targets but looked set to stay at Chelsea.

However, some movement in the Pato deal over the last 24 hours has led to renewed optimism Remy and Pardew could be reunited.

There is a deal agreed in principle with Emmanuel Adebayor should Palace’s other options fall through, but the former Spurs man wants wages of nearly £80k per week and is expected to be way short of the fitness level required to make an instant impact.

17:01

Jake Taylor ends Motherwell loan..and signs for Exeter

Taylor, who was on-loan at Fir Park from Reading has signed a contract with the League Two side.

Exeter boss Paul Tisdale said:

It’s a good opportunity to keep building the squad ahead of next year,” said E“It’s a good opportunity to keep building the squad ahead of next year.

He knows us and we know him, and he will add going forward into next season as we are building the team.

16:58

Livingston starlet linked with move to Nottingham Forest

Matthew Knox (Image: SNS)

Highly-rated 16-year-old Matthew Knox is drawing interest from a number of club down south, according to his manager David Hopkin.

The Edinburgh Evening News have reported about major interest in the player.

We’ve had a couple of bids for him

The board are looking at Forest’s offer at this moment in time but I think he can go higher. I know Dougie [Freedman] well and I’ve told him what Matthew’s got to offer, but we need to make sure it’s right for everyone.

Swansea and QPR have also shown their interest. If he doesn’t go anywhere then we’ll be delighted to have him.

Sidwell's a Seagull

Brighton have completed the signing of Stoke midfielder Steve Sidwell.

The 33-year-old has been restricted to just a handful of appearances for the Potters this season.

And he has been allowed to join the Championship Seagulls - where he spent a spell on loan earlier in his career - for the remainder of the campaign.

16:26

Tarkowski apologises after refusing to play

James Tarkowski has apologised to Brentford after refusing to play against Burnley last week.

The centre-back stunned Bees boss Dean Smith in the build-up to the 3-1 defeat earlier this month following two failed bids from the Clarets.

Tarkowski was kept away from their Osterley base following the incident but returned to training on Thursday.

And the 23-year-old has confirmed his desire to return to the North West to be closer to his mother, who is seriously ill.

I have always had a strong bond with my team mates and the fans. I also have a very close relationship with my family who, like you and my team mates, have been thereand supported me throughout my career. Unfortunately my mum has a serious, incurable illness and her condition has been getting steadily worse. I live a good four hours away from her and during the autumn, it became clear to me that I needed to get closer to home to support both her and my dad.

I was open and up front about this with the Club, who were sympathetic and said they’d work with me and my agent to try to reach a solution which worked well for the Club whilst giving me the possibility to move to closer to my mum. We decided to keep this matter confidential in the best interests of everyone. I decided not to put in a transfer request as we agreed it would be better to work together on this.

In the run up to the match against Burnley, I felt completely frazzled and unable to concentrate properly. I felt that to play in the match in this frame of mind may actually do more harm than good. I thought that my distraction may result in an error that would let my team mates and the fans down. After much thought and consultation with the gaffer, my family and my team mates, I felt unable to guarantee my usual standard of performance and said as much to the gaffer

Latest in Liverpool's hunt for Shakhtar ace

Woodward speaking to all the manager's men

Ed Woodward has been speaking to United’s senior players about Louis van Gaal, according to reports.

The Daily Mail claims that the Reds chief wants to find out first hand how significantly Van Gaal is affecting morale.

15:57

Garde of honour for Eric Black's Aston Villa return

Eric Black (Image: Getty)

Former Motherwell boss Eric Black is set to be unveiled as Remi Garde’s assistant manager at Aston Villa after his departure from Rotherham was confirmed.Frenchman Garde has been without a number two since being appointed in November but he has pinpointed Black, who spent five years with French side Metz during his playing career, as the man that can help him preserve Villa’s Premier League status.Scotsman Black is well respected within the game having held coaching and assistant manager positions at Celtic, Birmingham City, Sunderland, Wigan, Blackburn, Blackpool and Rotherham, where he assisted manager Neil Redfearn.The 52-year-old former Aberdeen striker said: “I have really enjoyed working at Rotherham United and I have met and worked with some terrific individuals.“I didn’t know Neil before he arrived but he was brilliant to me from day one. “He is an exceptional coach, one of the best I have worked with, and with the support of the chairman and everyone else I am sure he will take the club forward.”Millers boss Redfearn said: “Eric has had an opportunity that he felt he couldn’t turn down and we fully appreciated that, so he goes with everyone’s best wishes.“Eric really bought into what I wanted to do here and was very popular with the players and staff.”

15:52

Latest on Scotland star Ross McCormack from Fulham boss

The ex-Rangers forward is in demand.

“There is always speculation about (Moussa) Dembele and McCormack, but people need to understand Fulham too,” Jokanovic told Sky Sports.

If they are serious people they see we do not need money right now, we need other things, and we are not in a situation where we have to sell our best players.

We have seven days or so left and everything will be clearer then but, from my side, I don’t want and I do not make the steps to sell anyone.

The plan is to bring in new people and we are looking at the loan market.”

Ross didn’t play because yesterday he was sick and he has had some some physical problems after the last game.

He has only trained once this week so he didn’t appear in the squad. I don’t believe physically he was ready to play.

Psychologically, I understand there is much rumour and speculation, and I understand McCormack too.

15:49

Aberdeen beef up their development squad

The Australian youngster was previously at Queen of the South.

15:46

Tiote hit with a Shanghai Surprise

Cheik Tiote of Newcastle United goes off injured and is consoled by Newcastle United head coach Steve McClaren (Image: BPI )

Newcastle midfielder Tiote, 29, was expected to finalise his switch to the Chinese Super League side last week.

Shanghai had agreed an £8m fee with Newcastle and verbally agreed terms with Tiote.

But the deal stalled with Shanghai failing to firm up their interest and present Tiote and his representatives with a formal offer.

Tiote is now understood to be weighing up offers from a number of Shanghai’s Chinese rivals.

Meanwhile, Shanghai are now in talks with Inter Milan midfielder Fredy Guarin and retain an interest in ­Chelsea’s Jon Obi Mikel.

15:40

Watford keen on Suarez

Mario Suarez scores a goal (Image: Getty)

Matias Suarez, the ex-Atleti man now plying his trade with Fiorentina.

15:39

Come back to me Ozil!

Mesut Ozil of Arsenal runs with the ball (Image: Getty)

Real Madrid have a buy-back clause in their transfer agreement with Arsenal for Mesut Ozil, according to leaked transfer documents.

A contract on the Football Leaks website shows that the Gunners must notify Real if they ever intend to sell the World Cup winner to another Spanish club.

The financial terms of the offer received for the Germany playmaker would be disclosed to Real, who would have 48 hours to decide whether to match the offer, or until noon, London time, on the final day of the relevant transfer window, whichever comes first.

Should a rival Spanish club sign Ozil for more than 50million euros, Real would be entitled to 33 per cent of the profit.

The contract shows Arsenal paid an initial fee of 44m euros when they signed Ozil in September 2013, with the fee rising to a maximum of 50m euros.

Six separate 1m euros payments, up to a maximum of 6m euros, are contingent on Arsenal qualifying for the Champions League group stages in any season from July 2014 onwards. Each one must be paid within 30 days of qualification being secured, the contract states.

Diagouraga quotes as he signs for Leeds United

Leeds have completed the signing of Brentford midfielder Toumani Diagouraga.

The Frenchman has penned a two-and-a-half year deal with the Elland Road outfit and could make his debut against the Bees tomorrow night.

Diagouraga said:

It came about very fast. Once I was aware Leeds were interested and a bid had been accepted, I came straight up here and made it happen. It was a difficult decision to leave Brentford but I felt the time was right for me to.

15:26KEY EVENT

The one that got away from Mark Warburton and Rangers

The midfielder, who was believed to be Rangers boss Mark Warburton’s number one target in January, has officially signed for Leeds United.

15:19

Aubameyang a no go for Man Utd

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang speaks after receiving the African Footballer of the Year Award (Image: AFP/Getty)

Man Utd told to sling their hook in hunt for PEA!

In football nothing lasts for ever. But my contract runs until 2020, that is a fact.

feel happy, still want to achieve lots with Dortmund and win titles, that is also fact. I am here and nowhere else.

United eyeing new keeper?

The 23-year-old made his Italy debut in 2014 after making the Azzurri’s 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil.

Reds Devils scouts have been dispatched to watch the high-rated gloveman, with Liverpool also reportedly interested in him, as they seek to solve their problems between the sticks.

15:00

Tommy Wright on Rangers target Michael O'Halloran

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright (left) with Michael O'Halloran

The St Johnstone manager is focused on his side’s League Cup semi-final against Hibs, not any outgoings at McDiarmid Park.

Nothing will happen before the weekend. Michael is in the team. Team A, team B or team C.

The St Johnstone boss also would like to the League Cup finish earlier moving forward.

I think the League Cup should maybe be more condensed in terms of when it starts and finishes. It should maybe be a competition that is done before Christmas. It’s certainly going to start earlier next season.

The time period between the quarter-final and semi-final is too long and to have it on the weekend before the transfer window closes is not ideal for clubs.

The highly-rated midfielder has moved to the Keepmoat on an initial 28-day loan.

Lecygne has impressed for Stoke’s Under-21s and could make his Rovers debut against Port Vale tomorrow night.

14:50

Ramires heading East?

Ramires wears a protective mask (Image: Clive Rose/Getty)

Chinese club Jiangsu Suning side are hoping to complete a stunning January swoop for Chelsea midfielder Ramires.

The Brazilian was left out of the club’s last two Premier League squads and appears to be out of favour under new boss Guus Hiddink, reports GetWestLondon

Ramires only signed a new four-year contract at Stamford Bridge in October as Jose Mourinho rewarded his tireless work-rate in the middle of the park.

But Hiddink appears to trust John Mikel Obi, who we worked with during his first stint as manager in 2009, and would also like to give more opportunities to rising star Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu is in charge at Jiangsu Suning and the Chinese side are currently on a European training camp in Malaga.

A fee of at least £20million has been mooted for the former Benfica workhorse, while his compatriot Alexandre Pato is still expected to arrive in west London this week on a loan deal.

Meanwhile, Christian Atsu set to join Levante on loan for the rest of the season and Hamburg have joined the race to land Bertrand Traore on a similar deal.

14:38

Tannadice return for former striker?

Noel Hunt has also played for the likes of Leeds and Reading

Local press in Dundee are reporting that Noel Hunt is being lined up to save Dundee United’s season.

The Irish forward, currently at Southend United, is apparently on Mixu Paatelainen’s radar as he seeks to bolster his squad and attempt to claw back the deficit at the bottom - and ultimately to stay a Premiership side.

14:04

Part Two of our blogger video series

It’s the January transfer window - if you didn’t know?!

So have a watch of the above video as Keith Jackson sits down with our team of bloggers to discuss where their teams need to strengthen this month.

Go on.

13:57

Theo Robinson departs Motherwell

Theo Robinson during his loan spell at Derby County (Image: PA)

News of an outgoing at Fir Park as Theo Robinson joins Port Vale.

The 27-year-old Jamaican internationalist arrived at the Steelmen at the start of the season but has been released by Well, with the English outfit moving quick to secure him on a deal until the end of the campaign.

Robinson can count on Derby County and Doncaster Rovers as two of his former clubs.

Motherwell confirmed the departure on Twitter:

13:36

McGregor keen on new Hoops addition

Celtic's Callum McGregor (Image: SNS Group)

Youngster Callum McGregor believes that Celtic’s new signing Erik Sviatchenko will prove to be a success at Parkhead, the Sun reports.

The 24-year-old joined from Danish side FC Midtjylland for around £1.5m and while the defender has yet to appear for Ronny Deila, McGregor hinted that he has seen enough to suggest that the Dane will improve the squad.

“We’ve got Sviatchenko to come in as well and the boys are looking forward to seeing what he brings to the team.

“He’s a suave big guy and he fancies himself a wee bit. But he’s a nice big lad so he should fit in pretty well with the boys.”